Swindle's New Friends
by beelzemongirl
Summary: Might have to put this on hold guys. I don't know if it's the website or something else, but it won't let me update, sorry. Before Andromeda, there were two human girls, Skyler and her sister Emily. But what happened to them? Not a pairing!
1. A New HomeSort of

A/N: Ladies and Gentlemen, you are probably wondering why I don't have Aquila up yet. Truth is, I've lost my written version and I'm in the process of rewriting it. Hope fully this will keep you entertained until I'm finished. This might even start a whole new series. So, I hope my readers can come to understand my reasoning. Sorry to waste your time.

Prologue- New Home…Sort of

Yeah, this really sucked. He was supposed to be stuck like that, in his vehicle mode. That annoying little Autobot had frozen him that way, but somehow, he managed to survive it. He could've changed back whenever he wanted; he just didn't wanna blow his cover.

He was bought by, believe it or not, the governor. Swindle hated human politics, so he wasn't too happy this. But it wouldn't matter soon anyway. He was property now…oh the irony of it all. Yeah, karma sucked even more than this situation. At least for now anyway.

Not wanting to blow his cover, Swindle had gone with the powerful man, a man by the name of Aaron Miller, quietly. He didn't know the man's true intentions, nor did he care at the moment. The one thought that passed through his processor was: Destiny is a GLITCH! It was the only thought going through him.

"Sir, what exactly do you plan on doing with this…vehicle?" Miller's secretary, Mia, asked.

"It's Skyler. Her birthday's in a few days and I promised her a car. This one, luckily, came cheap".

"I'm not cheap, dumb-aft!" Swindle thought, "And who in the name of Primus is Skyler?!".

"Are you sure she'll like it?".

"Not at first, but she loves working on cars and that good crap. She can work wonders with this thing".

"I'd love to see her try, you stupid human" Swindle just kept thinking.

The limo pulled up to the large house, while Swindle was put in the garage, meant to be a surprise for the man's oldest daughter….

Skyler Miller was always the different kind of girl. Contrary to everyone's popular belief, rich girls were not always snobby. At least Sky wasn't. She loved mechanics more than anything, and wanted to work with machines when she got out of college.

She was a very pretty girl. Nice and petit, something any guy would like. Her hair was waist length and jet black. Skyler's skin was decently tanned, giving her the dark, desirable look. Her eyes were sharp and really dark brown.

But despite her looks, she kept away from guys. To her, they were just slobs, annoying, pesky little creatures that only cared about themselves. She wasn't a lesbian or anything, she had just had it with men. Her last boyfriend, Shawn, had taken advantage of her and only wanted publicity of dating the governor's daughter.

The only real light of her life was her little sister, Emily, who looked nothing like her. Emily was only about eight years old when Swindle stepped in. Her hair was short and blonde. Emily's eyes were a vibrant blue, just perfect. She'd be just like Skyler one of these days.

"Mind if I walk in?" Aaron stepped into his daughter's room.

"Dad, I'm kinda busy. Can this wait?" Skyler asked.

"Absolutely not. I got something for you down in the garage. It's an early birthday gift. Hopefully you'll like it".

Skyler immediately sprung up. It was a new car, it had to be. She wanted a Porsche so bad. Hopefully it was just that….

"WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Skyler exclaimed when she saw Swindle's vehicle mode in the garage.

"It's your new car" Aaron told her.

"No, dad, this is crap. That's what it is! I wanted a Porsche. What the crap did you get me?!".

"It's an SUV, Sky, I thought maybe you could use it as a…a canvas sort of speak. You can work wonders on this car".

Skyler sighed in frustration. This couldn't be happening! A cruddy car? What else could go wrong?

"I'm sorry Sky, but it was cheap. I can take it back-".

"No, Dad, I'll work on it. I'll see what I can do with it. But first, the artist must know what exactly what she's working on. Which means…GET OUT!" Skyler pushed her father out.

Oh yeah, she'd work wonders alright. But not just on Swindle, but on herself as well. The two lives were about to change and in a most unusual way. How unusual? Well, how about becoming family almost to your crappy looking car for you? Well, that's what was about to happen.


	2. A New FriendSort of

Chapter 1. A New Friend…Sort Of

When her father was gone, Skyler started to inspect her new SUV. She didn't like it. The colors were her biggest pet peeve. Its windows were tinted purple and tan was so bland in her eyes. Something had to be done, so Skyler got out some navy blue paint.

"If you even think about touching me with that, somebody's gonna die, and it ain't gonna be me" she heard a voice say.

"Who said that?" Skyler asked.

"Let me give you a hint, you own him".

Skyler looked at the car. It couldn't be…

"You…you can talk?".

"Nah, this is just your imagination. You're just dreaming".

"What are you?" Skyler asked.

"The name's Swindle, and I'm an arms dealer, little human".

"You…sell weapons?".

"I did, until some pesky little Autobot froze me into vehicle mode. At least until just a few days ago. I can be my true self whenever I wanna".

"So, why don't you show me?".

"This place is too small. I'll need to go outside if you wanna see".

Skyler got inside Swindle and drove him outside. There, she got out and watched in amazement as he transformed.

"Happy now?" Swindle asked.

"Whoa, coolest…thing…ever" Skyler said in awe.

"Alright, do you still want to change my color?".

"Now, I think I'm just gonna keep it".

"Good, now let's start over. The name's Swindle, you are?".

"Skyler, Skyler Miller".

"Pleasure to meet you, flesh bag".

A/N: Yeah, this was short, sorry. The next chapter will hopefully, be longer. See ya!


	3. Ground Rules

Chapter 2. Ground Rules

"First off, it's Skyler, but I like to be called Sky for short. If you don't mind calling me that. Alright, let's get a few things straight. You're the car, and I own you. See? That's how that works".

"Uh-oh, missy. I don't belong to anyone, especially not little flesh bags like you".

"It's Skyler".

"Whatever, at any rate, I don't belong to anyone. Rogue arms dealers are meant to be free to do whatever they want, little one. At least that's how it works where I'm from".

"Which is?" Skyler asked, sitting down.

"Cybertron, my dear. I'm the best that's ever been in the arms dealing world. I make good, kick aft weapons and sell 'em for cheap".

"In other words, you're cheating yourself".

"What?".

"Yeah, think about it. You make awesome weapons, and you sell them for cheap? How much sense does that make? I mean, it makes none to me".

"Oh, I'm not that cheap. I wanted to tell your father that, but that meant blowing my cover. Speaking of which, if I'm calling you by name, then you better not tell a damn soul about this".

"Got it, Swindle. Now, I think we should get to know a little bit more about each other. You start sharing" Skyler insisted.

"There's…nothing, I guess, for me to tell. So why don't you?".

Yeah, he was a bad liar, but Sky disregarded it and started sharing some details about herself.

"Well, I'm sixteen years old in a few days, and I have got a sister and a dad" Sky told him.

"What about your" Swindle almost struggled to say it, "Mother?".

"My mom? Oh, she died when I was like, ten I think. But Emily was an itty bitty thing back then".

"Oh, keep going".

"My dad became governor a year later, and he's just been reelected since. It's not as great as everyone thinks it is. I mean, Emily loves it, but I wanna be like normal girls. Preferably with a boyfriend who doesn't care about publicity".

"What does that mean?" Swindle asked.

"My last boyfriend just wanted his name in papers and stuff to gain popularity and such. He used me to get it".

"Oh, well, you let him do it".

Sky gave him a look that made Swindle squirm a little. "What? It's the truth" he told her.

"You're right, I'm sorry. Anyway, so…anything about you I should know about you?".

"Just…don't ask questions about me. My past doesn't matter all that much. Wanna go back?".

"Sure thing, Swindle. Hey, does this mean we're friends now?".

"Uh…I don't know, maybe. I'll have to think about it".

So started this unique, but soon to be powerful, bond.

A/N: Dang it, another short chapter! Man this sucks. I still can't find my written version of Aquila. I'm trying guys, I really am. Sorry again.


	4. Music of the Night Swindle meets Emily

Chapter 3. Music of the Night (Swindle meets Emily)

Yeah, nights on Earth were pretty lonely. But when was Swindle never truly alone? His life before all this had been crap, but what about now? Skyler seemed to be a nice kid. But…what was gonna happen now? Whenever he had troubling thoughts, he found condolence in music. Only one song fit this night: Music of the Night, from Phantom of the Opera. He turned it to the opera station and let the music play through his hidden processor.

_Night time sharpens, heightens each sensation_

_Darkness stirs, and wakes imagination. _

_Silently the senses, abandon their defenses, _

It was the movie version so it either missed parts that he liked or changed the lyrics. Oh well, it was this or nothing. Swindle found himself singing along. It brought back many memories, some of which he wished he didn't have.

_Slowly, gently, night unfurls its splendor. _

_Grasp it, sense it, tremulous and tender. _

_Turn your face away from the garish light of day. _

_Turn your thoughts away from cold, unfeeling light. _

_And listen to the music of the night. _

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to Swindle, his music had woken up another, smaller resident of the huge house. It was a certain blonde hair, blue eyed little girl. It was Emily, Skyler's younger sister.

_Close your eyes and surrender to your darkest dreams, _

_Purge your thoughts of the life you knew before. _

_Close your eyes and let your spirit start to soar. _

_And you live as you've never lived before. _

The little girl quietly made her way down to the garage, where she heard the strange, but beautiful music. It was coming from her sister's new car. Emily carefully hid herself and stayed in her hiding place throughout the rest of the song.

_Softly, deftly, music shall caress you._

_Hear it, feel it, secretly possess you. _

_Open up your mind, let your fantasies unwind. _

_In this darkness which you know you cannot fight,_

_The darkness of the music of the night. _

Swindle didn't hear Emily, even if she did move. He was so caught up in his own thoughts, he wasn't really paying attention to anything else. Emily crept out of her hiding place.

_Let your mind start a journey through a strange new world. _

_Leave all thoughts of the life you knew before. _

_Let your soul take you where you long to be. _

_Only then can you belong to me. _

Emily closed her eyes as she approached Swindle, doing as the song asked. She did everything. The journey, the longing, everything. She touched one of Swindle's tinted windows, and she felt him shiver to her touch.

_Floating, falling, sweet intoxication. _

_Touch me, trust me savor each sensation. _

_Let the dream begin, let your darker side give in, _

_To the power of the music that I write. _

_The power of the music of the night. _

"Are you cold, Mr. Car?" Emily asked.

Now he did something that could be described only as a jump.

"Who are you?" Swindle asked, "Oh crap, just blew cover!".

"It's okay, I won't tell anyone about you talking. I'm Emily, Sky's sister".

"Oh, yeah, she was telling me all about you. You're tinier than I thought".

"I know, but daddy says I got a huge heart as well".

"Somehow, I believe that".

_You alone can make my song take flight. _

_Help me make the music of the night. _

He did believe it, as much as he didn't want to, but he did. Swindle was intrigued with this little one. She was so alike, but so different from her sister. Emily leaned up against one of his doors and wanting to fall asleep.

"Hey there, kid, you gotta go back to your room, but, remember, don't tell anyone about this".

Emily managed to get up. "Okay, what's your name?".

"Swindle" he said.

"Swindle…Okay, Mr. Swindle".

Emily stumbled up the stairs and went back up to bed. Swindle had made his mind up then: He did want to be friends with these two. He wasn't sure what it was about them, but he liked it. They made him feel…great, for once in his life.

A/N: I do not own Music of the Night. That belongs to Andrew Lloyd Webber, and whoever owns Phantom of the Opera. So, I hope you liked this chapter. Leave me a review.


	5. Love of another Kind

Chapter 4-Love of another Kind

The next morning, Swindle got out of recharge to the see the girls, staring at him, grinning their faced off.

"What? What happened?" he asked.

"Nothing, just happy you're up. You survived your first night here" Skyler didn't exactly answer.

"What?".

Why would anyone be happy for one person just for being up? That didn't make sense to him, at all. He never got the concept of happiness because he never truly had been happy. Like said, his life had been crap before the night before.

The girls noted he looked confused. It was Emily, no surprise, who spoke out.

"What's wrong, Mr. Swindle?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing, just…thinking I guess".

"About what?".

"Nothing in particular, just…stuff".

"You can speak your mind. We want you to be happy here".

Her concerned gaze reached him somehow. That, and what she said. Swindle couldn't think of how to reply.

"Yeah, we both want you to be" Skyler agreed.

Swindle didn't quite get it. He didn't how to respond to them. Their logic wasn't his. He just didn't understand why they were so concerned for him.

"You're not happy here, are you, Mr. Swindle?" Emily asked, looking a little disappointed.

"No, I never said that! I just…don't know…what to say".

It didn't take long for Sky to catch on. No one, not one person, or any of his own kind, had given Swindle any kind of care.

"I get it. No one cared about you, right Swindle?" Skyler asked.

"Huh?".

Her question had caught him off guard. Swindle hadn't seen it coming. There was no way he could tell them. They were just humans! They wouldn't understand! Plus, he didn't want them to worry about him or know of the terrible things that he had been subjected to in his function.

"You can talk about it. Please, Swindle? We'll listen".

"Yeah Mr. Swindle, we won't tell anyone".

"It's… it's not that girls, it's just…I don't think it's right for me to place all my troubles on you guys".

"It wouldn't be a problem. We can take it" Skyler told him.

Would they listen? Would they really care? Maybe they'd laugh at him, just like everyone else had. His spark jolted in his audios. He was feeling nervous. Swindle didn't want to tell them, but since they were asking…was it alright to tell them?

"Alright, I guess I can tell you guys. But get dressed and everything first. My story's a long one, so I want you guys to be comfortable and I wanna be somewhere more…private".

The sisters looked at each other and nodded. "We can so do that!".

"Good, I'll see you guys then".

Swindle watched the girls go back upstairs. He sighed.

"What are you getting yourself into? Why do you care so much about them? I mean, they're just humans…right?".

A/N: Next chapter: Swindle tells the girls about his past, and gets a little angsty along the way. Hope you liked this.


	6. Shadows of the past

Chapter 5- Shadows of the past

When the girls were finally ready for the day, it was time for the truth. No more lies, no more secrets. It was time to be completely open. It was Swindle's time of trial. Damnation or salvation would be found this morning…it rested in their hands. His two judges, two little humans.

"Alright, Swindle. Let's drive out to the woods, shall we?" Skyler asked.

"Gladly" Swindle let the girls into his vehicle mode, opening and closing the doors for them. Skyler opened the garage door from a switch in Swindle and the newly turned friends went out.

When they were finally alone, Swindle changed to his robot mode and the girls sat down in front of him.

"Alright, start sharing, Mr. Swindle" Emily smiled up at him.

"Well, some parts of this are a little gruesome, so I'll try not to go into the best detail. So, my story begins a long, long time ago. My mother was a Decepticon slash neutral, she kept switching sides, and she was a drinker, and a glitch. I was conceived out of one of her little drunken one nighters with a mech, so I never knew much about my father except that he was an Autobot looking for action, sort of speak".

Skyler understood most of it, but Emily had questions already. But she'd save them for afterward.

"Since my father was never around, I alone was subjected to her drunken rages. In fact, one night, I almost died because of it. I tripped on the stairs of our little… I guess you could've called that little hell hole a home, so home, and I called out for her because the pain was that bad. My alloy wasn't the best; it was very weak at the time. So, I manage to crawl to her room and there she was, flaunting her stuff with some guy I didn't know. She got mad at me, took the guy's dagger out, and threw it at me. I had turned around before she could get my face with it, and it got my back instead. Like I said, my alloy was weak, and it slid down my back, making the pain worse. I crawled out and managed to find a neighbor who happened to be a medic bot. Luckily the dagger hadn't gone deep, but there was nothing he could do about the scar it would leave. I still have it under my back plating, if you ever wanna see it".

"Show us" Sky said.

Swindle removed his back plating, and revealed the thing that made others of his kind laugh at him. His back was split by the huge scar. Originally, the dagger had gotten him on the left shoulder, but it slid when he moved down to the right lower part of his back. It was terrible. Skyler wondered who would do that to an innocent kid.

"Oh my god, why?" Skyler asked.

"She was a glitch, like I said. Anyway, if that wasn't bad enough, I was teased by other sparklings as well. I was teased for my huge optics, and their color. The color of my alloy was also something I was hated for. I finally had enough of the teasing and I practically killed one of the older sparklings who led the others against me. I was then sent to a home where I was kept for a few stellar cycles. While I was there, I learned that someone had murdered my mother. I told them I didn't care if she was dead or not. I think that's when adults started hating me. But they didn't get it. No one did" Swindle paused as if in reflection and then continued, "It was also there that I learned about arms dealing. I knew it was illegal in most parts of Cybertron, but I wanted to make something of my life. I wanted to prove everyone wrong, that I could amount for something, and I have. I'm the best dang arms dealer in the galaxy, humans, and it's a title I love".

He finished and the two girls were just a little too stunned to speak. Swindle laughed. He had rendered them speechless. It was okay, they truly did like him. But he looked again and noticed that Emily was on the brink of tears. She felt bad for him. Swindle hated being pitied, but he hated seeing them unhappy even more.

"It's okay, it doesn't hurt anymore, Emily. I'm okay now".

"It's not just that…How could she do that to you? How could anyone do that to their own kid?".

She started sobbing and Skyler hugged her. This wasn't good on his account, he had hurt one of them. Skyler…would she be angered at him? He waited for Skyler to look at him. When she did, she was in tears too. He had hurt both of them without meaning to.

So Swindle just simply picked them up and held them close. He couldn't cry anymore, so now he was letting them cry for him. As much as he hated to admit, the pain was still there. Yeah, his back had been damaged really bad, but even more damaged was his spark and his soul. He just wanted someone to listen to him, but no. Everyone he ever told had just laughed at him. Swindle understood that teasing only caused one to shut their heart down. He would know, it happened to him. He didn't know how to love. That's why he couldn't respond to their happiness. That's why he listened to Phantom of the Opera, because he could relate to the Phantom, Erik. Like him, Swindle never received or gave love to anyone, so he didn't know how to love.

He waited for their tears to subside. "I'm sorry" he said.

"No, we are. We love you, Mr. Swindle, and we hope that you can be happy here. We'll be all you need, don't worry" Emily managed.

No one had ever told him that before. Yeah, he had heard people say it, but never to him. It touched him, deep. That was how an arms dealer vowed to make himself guardian over two little humans. His angels, his judges, even his…daughters.

A/N: Finally, this chapter is done. I'm gonna have another song from Phantom here in a little while. I am rewriting Aquila right now, so it'll be a while before I can get that up and running.


	7. No One would Listen

Chapter 6- No one Would Listen

That night, Swindle had some time for himself. He didn't know what to think now. He didn't know whether to love them or just…did what he always did. He wanted to learn to love them, but it was difficult when he had never received love before. But when Emily and Skyler admitted that they loved him…it was something great. No one had ever listened to his story without laughing at him. He started to sing a song that he knew all too well. Another song that soothed his soul. But he modified it so that it better suited his situation.

"No one would listen. No one but them. Heard as the outcast heard. Shamed into solitude, shunned by the multitude, I learned to listen. In my dark, my spark heard music".

The song was called No One would Listen, another song sung by the Phantom. It made Swindle feel a lot better about his situation. It was true for this.

"I longed to teach the world. Rise up and reach the world. No one would listen. I alone could hear the music".

It was true. He loved music, to be honest with himself. He once thought about maybe doing something that had to do with music. He wanted to teach especially. Maybe Emily and Skyler would love to learn.

"Then at last, two voices in the gloom, seemed to cry: "We hear you; we hear your fears, your torment, and your tears".

It almost worked that way. Skyler had been the first of the two to catch on to his internal fight. But Emily, she had been the first to say I love you to him, and the first to cry for him. It was sad, and it tore him up inside, that he didn't tell them he loved them as well. He had wanted to, but he questioned if he would actually mean it.

"They saw my loneliness, shared in my emptiness. No one would listen. No one but them. Heard as the outcast hears".

They both saw through him. Most Cybertronians only saw him as an illegal peddler, but to them, he was something more. To know that he meant something to somebody, two somebodies to be exact, it was the most beautiful thing he had ever had. Maybe this love thing wasn't too hard.

"No one would listen. No one but them. Heard as the outcast hears…".

A/N: First off, sorry this was short. But the song is very short. Why they cut this song from the movie I don't know, but it ticked me off as soon as I heard it earlier. To Amethyst, I'm sorry about your friend, and I would like to dedicate this fanfic to her, as well as to anyone who's been abused. Don't give up, the survivor always gets to tell the story and simply to endure means to survive. Just stay strong, guys. I know what it's like. And I'm sorry this note is so long, but I just really wanna express thoughts on this. See ya guys, I think I'm gonna cry.


	8. Snowy Day

Chapter 7-Snowy Day

A delightful surprise awaited the three friends when they woke the next morning. The news of it was delivered by Emily, who first ran to her sister to tell her.

"Sky, wake up, It's a snow day! School's Cancelled!" Emily ecstatically jumped on her sister's bed.

"Five more minutes!" Skyler complained.

"C'mon, we're gonna go tell Mr. Swindle!" Emily jumped off the bed and waited for her sister to get up.

When she did at last, the two ran to the basement and woke Swindle.

"Swindle, it's snowing!" Skyler exclaimed almost as excited as Emily.

"What?" Swindle asked, "What's snow?".

"Look outside, Mr. Swindle! White is everywhere!".

Swindle looked out the window of the basement. She was right. White was everywhere! What in the world was all that? Swindle ran one of his scanners and found it merely to be frozen water. But if it made his girls happy, he was happy too.

"Would you look at that" Swindle sighed, "I take it you guys want me to go outside with you".

"Will you, Mr. Swindle?" Emily asked.

"Yeah, I'll go out there, but only when you guys get out there".

"Sweet!" Emily and Skyler rushed upstairs and almost bombarded their father.

"Where are you two going in such a hurry?" Aaron asked.

"Oh, it's snowy out! We're gonna go play, if that's cool with you, daddy" Emily answered.

"Don't be out long. I don't want my girls catching something".

"We won't be out long, dad, I promise" Skyler promised and the two went upstairs to their rooms to change.

Just as she was though, a thought came to Skyler. What would happen if she told her father about Swindle? Would he be afraid of her newly found friend? Would he accept Swindle anyway? So many thoughts mixed up in Sky's head. She knew she'd have to tell him sometime, but when was the question.

The two went outside and Skyler opened the garage door, letting Swindle out.

"It's…cold" he noted.

"Did you ever get any snow on Cybertron?" Emily asked.

"No, actually. It was summer like all year round".

"Well, this is your first snow day. What do you wanna do?" Skyler asked.

"What do you usually do with stuff like this?" Swindle replied.

"We have snowball fights, we go sledding, we build snowmen, and we make snow angels".

"I like the snowball fight idea. How do you play?" Swindle asked.

Just then, a little snowball hit Swindle in his foot. "What in the world?".

He looked over at Emily and found her giggling. "That's how you play" she answered.

"Oh, well then…Allow me to join in on your little game, little human".

Swindle picked up a ton of snow, rolled it in a ball, and almost threw it, but Skyler stopped him.

"Wait a minute, Swindle, that can kill us. You gotta take it easy on us. Put the snow down. I'll make your snowballs, and we chuck them all at each other. What do you guys think of that?".

"Works for me" Swindle shrugged.

"Cool, but what do we do in the meantime?" Emily asked.

"What about that snowman thing? That sounds like…fun".

"Cool, we'll make a huge snowman! Start gathering snow, Mr. Swindle!".

Swindle started to do so while Skyler was putting several snowballs together. Within a few minutes, the snowman was done and it was huge. Not Swindle huge, but big enough for everyone to notice and admire it.

"Okay, Mr. Swindle, we need something to be the nose".

Swindle picked up the hose. Skyler caught on.

"No Swindle, she said nose!".

"Oh, I thought she said hose. Okay, I can work with that. Don't humans usually use carrots?".

"Carrots are gross" Emily said, "Hey Sky, can we borrow some of your polished fancy rocks?".

"No way, not my polished stone collection!".

"Please can we, Skyler? I'll bring them in when we're done, I promise" Emily pleaded.

She and Swindle both gave Skyler that sad puppy eyes and optics. Sky groaned a little.

"Fine, you can use them".

"Awesome, I'll go get them, along with a few other things" Emily ran inside.

"Be careful, you could slip and I don't want that happening" Swindle called out with concern.

"Don't worry, I'll be okay!".

Swindle sighed. "That girl's gonna hurt herself one of these days".

"Yeah, dad and I both established that a long time ago" Skyler replied.

"Yeah…Is there something bothering you, Sky?".

"No, it's just a feeling I get. You know, that one feeling you get when you know something bad's gonna happen? Yeah, I'm kinda getting that".

"What kind of bad thing?" Swindle wondered.

"I can't describe it, but I know it's gonna have something to do with all of us. Something's gonna change us…forever, I know it".

"Everything changes, Skyler, but I know something that won't change and that's the fact that…".

Swindle stopped there. Could he say it? Was it okay now? Yeah, it'd be alright. He originally wanted Emily to be there too when he said it for the first time, but he'd tell her later.

"Fact that what?" Skyler asked.

Swindle smiled. "That I love you guys, you and Emily".

Skyler gazed up into his purple optics. "Are you serious? You do?".

"Of course I do. I don't know for how long, but…all my life I've had this feeling like I was missing something. Then I met you and Emily and I kinda caught on as to what that was: True Friends. Ever since I met you guys, I've never exactly been lonely. Then you and Emily told me that you loved me yesterday, and that's when I felt like" Swindle put his hand to his spark, "Like you guys changed something in me. Something that I always had, but could never express it. I wanted to share it with you guys, and I have, and it's great".

"Just know that we do love you, Swindle. We always will, okay?".

"Yeah, I'll be sure to remember that".

A/N: Hey there peoples! Listen, got a question for you: Who's got a Yahoo account? I kinda would like to talk to you guys over the internet and not just in my notes. I can't post my real E-mail address, seeing as how I could risk getting kicked off and plus the whole security thing they have going on. I'll try to find a way to get around that, so…yeah, just leave me a review. Tell me what you think. Amethyst, as for your friend, she's very welcome. She's a true awesome underdog, and I love those kinds of things. I'm in the process of rewriting Aquila and I will see about writing it while working on this. By the way, thanks for at least mentioning Lockdown in your fic, Amethyst. Maybe Starcrystal can hang with Andromeda and Aquila if she wants, though Aquila is really young now. Anyway, just R/R please!


	9. Snuggle Time

Chapter 7- Snuggle Time

They stayed outside almost the whole day. When the girls started getting cold, Swindle took them back to the house in hopes that they'd go in and get warmer. But instead, they decided to stay in his SUV mode, and just enjoyed each other's company. Emily was lying down in the back seat, tired after having a long, fun day out in the snow. All the while, Skyler was in the driver's seat, trying to get Swindle to warm up.

"C'mon Swindle, this isn't funny. It's cold in here" Skyler complained.

"I wanna go back out" Swindle replied.

"We will tomorrow, but it's just too cold out right now".

"No, it's not for the snow".

"Then, what for?".

"I'll only show you guys if you let me out".

Sky opened the door. "Alright, now what?".

"Just sit tight when we get out there. I promise, I think you'll like this".

When Swindle got outside, he transformed around the girls and held them right in his hand.

"Alright, now what are you doing?" Skyler asked.

Swindle didn't answer, just layed down on the white, cold ground and gazed upward, holding his girls to his chest, right over his spark. It was nice and warm there, so he could enjoy their company while keeping them warm and being In his more comfortable form.

"He wants to snuggle, Sky. He really does love us, don't you, Mr. Swindle?" Emily asked.

"You bet your little socks I do".

Emily climbed up to his neck so that she could be under his chin. But that wasn't too comfortable, so she climbed up a little more.

"Careful there, Em. I don't want you getting hurt now" Swindle told her.

"I know" Emily stopped at a spot near his left cheek plate.

Then she did something he never expected: she kissed it. Swindle's optics widened with surprise and his mouth was open a little. That one action…that little sign of affection…it rendered him almost speechless.

"What was that for?" he asked.

"I don't know. When you love someone, you kiss 'em" Emily answered.

"Oh…I get it".

He couldn't do it for them though, so he didn't know what to do at first to express his love for them. So words would have to do the job.

"I love you both. I love you…I love you guys" he would've kept repeating it, but tears threatened his optics.

He couldn't hold them back. He never deserved this. He was a delinquent, a bastard sparkling, he was something to be hated, but yet here he was, loved by the two humans who had enough generosity in their little hearts to hear him out.

"Are you okay, Swindle?" Skyler asked.

"Yeah, I'll…I'll be okay. Sometime I'll be fine again".

Skyler climbed up to where Emily was and the two just leaned there, against his face, not caring about the cold anymore. They had their best friend, and that was all that mattered to them. It was all that mattered to Swindle as well.

"We'll always love you. Mr. Swindle, please don't ever leave us" Emily pleaded as sweetly as she could.

Swindle sniffed. "Never…Never, ever, ever".

The two humans moved back to Swindle's chest and just snuggled there, with him holding them there. It was okay now, he let the tears fall now. There wasn't anymore shame in it. He was crying because he loved them, and couldn't express it any other way than just those three words. The girls had fallen asleep on him, but he didn't mind it. Rather, he put them in their rooms through their open windows, right on their beds.

"I promise…I'll never leave my girls behind".

But in the world of Politics, even family wasn't that simple anymore. Something ominous was to threaten them soon, just as Skyler had felt earlier.

A/N: Thank you for giving me your Yahoo name, tlcoopi7. I'll try to IM you sometime this weekend if I can get my IM up and running. I just installed it. I hate to spoil this for you guys, but this fic isn't exactly gonna have a happy ending. You'll see what I mean in a few chapters. No, no one dies…well, no major characters anyway. Alright, try to guess what happens, but leave me a review, please!


	10. Broken

Chapter 9-Broken

_I wanted you to know, _

_That I love the way you laugh. _

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain, _

_Away_

The time came, however, when the girls had to go back to school. Swindle hated the school system. It reduced his time with the girls, a time he felt was limited. He could never shake the feeling that his time with them was coming to a close and fast. It was an ever lasting feeling.

_I keep your photograph, _

_And I know it serves me well. _

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain. _

When Skyler first admitted that she had a feeling something bad was about to happen, Swindle couldn't help but agree. But if something bad was meant to happen, how would it happen? Would someone be hurt or killed? Would he lose everything he had gained?

'_Cause I'm broken, _

_When I'm open, _

_And I don't feel like, _

_I am strong enough. _

If anyone tried to hurt his girls, he'd kill them, no matter who it was. Swindle swore to himself that he would. No one would hurt his girls and walk away to tell the tale. He was damn sure of that. Swindle's thoughts converted back to his Decepticon way at the thought of it.

'_Cause I'm broken, _

_When I'm lonesome, _

_And I don't feel right, _

_When you've gone away. _

But he thought about his girls and how much they loved him, and his thoughts softened. His dream of bliss was finally realized. He was happy for the first time in his function. And he owed it all to humans to think. Swindle found it kinda ironic. But still, that feeling wasn't going away. He'd brace himself for the worst.

_The worst is over now, _

_And we can breathe again. _

_I wanna hold you high and steal my pain, _

_Away. _

Skyler still had that feeling as well, even when she tried to focus on her studies and such. Her thoughts always went back to Swindle. She was bored all the time in school, so she took out her sketch book and started drawing Swindle. She shaded it all perfectly, and it looked like the real thing. Sky was even surprised that she had done so well in a matter of minutes.

_There's so much left to learn, _

_And nowhere left to find. _

_I wanna hold you high and steal your pain. _

She was kinda wishing now that she hadn't told him about that feeling. Like with him, it was unshakeable for her. She didn't wanna feel it anymore. She wanted to feel like everything was gonna be okay, but she couldn't.

'_Cause I'm broken, _

_When I'm open. _

_And I don't feel like, _

_I am strong enough. _

If anyone tried to take her and Emily away from Swindle, she'd take her sister and go straight back to their friend. They loved each other too much. They were too valuable to each other to lose. If she was ever permanently sent away from him, she would be devastated. Sky loved Swindle, like he was a part of her family.

'_Cause I'm broken, _

_When I'm lonesome. _

_And I don't feel right, _

_When you've gone away. _

But what if her feeling wasn't just a feeling? What if something was destined to happen? What would happen? How would it happen? Who would be responsible for it? More importantly, what would happen to them? Swindle couldn't lose them. Like said, he cared about them too much.

'_Cause I'm broken, _

_When I'm open. _

_And I don't feel like, _

_I am strong enough. _

Swindle needed to know. Would his happiness ever end? Was this truly just a dream? Was his spark really changed? He asked all these questions and more to Primus, god of Cybertronians. He never received an answer. But in time, Swindle knew he'd get what he needed.

'_Cause I'm broken, _

_When I'm lonesome. _

_And I don't feel right, _

_When you've gone away. _

A/N: I was listening to the acoustic version of this song, and somehow it gave me an idea for this chapter. I do not own this song; it belongs to the group Seether. The version that this has is the one that doesn't have Amy Lee from Evanescence in it. I would've used that one, but I didn't feel like it. R/R Please!


	11. Worst Fears

Chapter 10- Worst Fears

Just then, Skyler was called up to the office, much to her annoyance. When she went up to see what was going on, Mia and Emily were sitting up there, both looking worried. Something was wrong, very wrong. It wasn't Swindle, seeing as how Mia didn't know about Swindle.

"What happened?" Sky asked.

"Skyler, Emily, I'd rather not tell you here. We need to get to my car now. Something happened at your father's meeting this morning" Mia explained.

The sisters followed their father's secretary to her Porsche, where she told them the news.

"Your father's in the hospital with critical stab wounds. Someone tried to assassinate him, and they've probably succeeded. Doctors think he won't survive the night".

The news hit Skyler faster than a shark attack. This was what she had been feeling about for days now. She knew something like this was going to happen, but the shock of it was too much.

"Someone tried to kill dad" she told Emily.

"What?! Why?!" Emily asked.

"No motive except maybe political violence. Other than that, we know nothing. But, the police and the government have affirmed: The killer's after you two as well. You need to go into Witness Protection".

"NO!" Skyler screamed, furious, "No, we're not going under witness protection!" Skyler got out of the car and ran toward home.

She had to be with Swindle, be close to him. She needed to tell him what was wrong. She needed to hear his voice comforting her and Emily. Skyler ignored Mia and Emily's calling her. Unfortunately, she didn't make it far without falling and tears threatening. Her father was dead and now she was losing her best friend and her old life. How much more could she take? Not much.

Skyler fell to the ground, tears falling.

"Swindle…" she managed to whisper his name through her sobs.

A/N: Now you know what's gonna happen, I assume. Yeah, I won't be able to start IMing anyone yet, but I will soon hopefully. The next chapter is gonna be really sweet, I promise.


	12. All I ask of You

Chapter 11- All I ask of You

Mia drove the girls back to what was soon to be their old home. Skyler ran to the garage, ran straight to a waiting Swindle. She let herself cry some more when she reached him.

"I know, Sky. I heard. I'll kill the son of a glitch who did that to your father".

"No, I'm just scared now, Swindle. Now what's gonna happen to us?".

"Shhh, I'm here. **No more talk of darkness, forget these wide eyed fears. I'm here, nothing can harm you. My words will warm and calm you. Let me be your freedom. Let daylight dry your tears. I'm here, with you, beside you, to guard you and to guide you**".

"_Say you love me every waking moment. Turn my head with talk of summertime. Say you need me with you now and always. Promise me that all you say is true. That's all I ask of you_".

"**Let me be your shelter, let me be your light. You're safe. No one will find you. Your fears are far behind you**".

"_All I want is freedom, a world with no more night. And you, always beside me, to hold me and to hide me_".

"**Then say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Let me lead you from your solitude. Say you need me with you here, beside you. Anywhere you go let me go too. Skyler, that's all I ask of you**".

"_Say you'll share with me one love, one lifetime. Say the word and I will follow you_".

"_**Share each day with me, each night, each morning**_".

"_Say you love me_".

"**You know I do**".

"_**Love me…that's all I ask of you**_".

Skyler opened the garage door, let Swindle out, just so he could transform and hold her to his spark. They did care too much about each other. And now they needed each other more than ever.

"_**Anywhere you go let me go too. Love me…that's all I ask of…you**_".

Only problem with that now…they had to give up everything for the sake of false security. Skyler and Emily only felt safe around Swindle, and now they had to lose him.

"We have to go into witness protection, Swindle" she told him straight up.

"What's that?" Swindle asked.

"It's a program that protects those that are subjected to crimes. Oh Swindle, you're my best friend. Maybe if it were a different world…If you were human…you could take care of us".

"But I can. I can go with you , right?".

"No…We have to leave all aspects of our old lives behind us. That includes you".

He was losing them. Swindle had only been loved for a few days, and now he was losing them.

"Where's Emily?" he asked, tears threatening.

"She's still with Mia. She actually took this a lot better than I did".

"Mr. Swindle?" Emily suddenly came in.

She was in tears. She didn't wanna go into this program either. Swindle picked up Emily and held her next to her sister.

"We'll find a way, girls. Just hold on".

A/N: I do not own the song All I ask of You. At any rate. I actually started crying when I typed this chapter. Sorry if it is a little sad, guys, but understand that not all of my stories have a happy ending. R/R please.


	13. A Solution

Chapter 12- A solution

The girls didn't have much of a choice. Swindle wasn't property, he was their friend. He could protect them. Mia had to know about this. It was the only way that Swindle had any chance of being with them.

"Mia, we have someone we want you to meet. But you gotta come to the yard. That and you can't tell anyone else" Skyler took Mia's hand.

The teenager led her father's secretary to the back yard, where Swindle was waiting for them. Emily was already with him.

"Oh…my…God! A Cybertronian!" Mia looked shocked, but wasn't surprised.

"You knew about him?" Sky asked.

"Not him personally, but I know about his kind. Drug dealers use his kind for fighting. Advanced dog fighting, basically, is their new business. So this is why you wanted your car to go with you?" Mia asked.

"Yeah, can he?".

"Well, we can't put any Cybertronians In the program. However, I do know a few people who own a ranch about two hours away from here. He'd be safe there" Mia looked up at Swindle, "Once we catch the assailant, the girls will be free from the program, and they can come looking for you".

"How long will that be?" Swindle asked.

"It depends on how long it will take us to find the killer and all those associated with that particular person. I can assure you, Swindle, the girls will be perfectly safe. I'm going with them into the program. They'll be under my care".

Swindle appeared thoughtful for a minute. He'd be able to see them again, but it would take years. He looked at Emily, then at Skyler, and then at Mia. He could tell she was trustworthy, but could Swindle deprive himself of the one thing that mattered most? He had only felt loved for a few weeks, and he didn't wanna lose that. He didn't want to lose the humans that had broken the ice around his spark. He just didn't want to. But he had to, to keep them safe.

"I'll accept for now. But I wanna see them again. Will I ever?".

"There's a slim chance, but a chance regardless. We don't even know where we're going until government officials find and tell us".

"And you'll keep them safe?".

"I promise".

"I'll hold you to that. Alright, I'll go with these people you're talking about. Just please, Mia, keep them safe from harm…because I can't anymore".

It broke his spark to know that he'd be forced to let go of the girls that he considered his daughters, his sparklings. But he knew it was for the right reason. They needed to be protected. He watched the three go inside so the girls could pack some little things. Tears threatened, but for once, he was able to hold them back.

"Stop it" he told himself, "This isn't goodbye, Swindle. This is a new beginning for them, and for you".

A/N: To clear something up, just in case, there is no romance between Swindle and Skyler. I'm afraid I might have put that in the last chapter, but it's not the case. Swindle sees them as his daughters. So yeah, just leave me a review. I think the next chapter's gonna provoke tears, guys, so brace yourselves.


	14. Say Goodbye

Chapter 13-Say Goodbye

_Things are changing, _

_It seems strange and, _

_I need to figure this out. _

_You've got your life, _

_I got mine. _

_But you're all I cared about. _

The next morning, the girls and Mia were having to leave. The three waited for the governmental car to come and get them. But then Skyler and Emily went to the backyard to spend what was meant to be their last moments with Swindle.

"We don't wanna leave, Mr. Swindle" Emily started to cry.

"It's okay guys, we'll see each other again, I think" Swindle didn't wanna feel bad around them.

_Yesterday we were laughing._

_Today I'm left here asking, _

_Where has all the time gone now?_

_I'm left alone somehow. _

_Growing up, _

_Getting older. _

_I don't wanna believe it's over. _

Skyler and Emily went to Swindle's hand and he held them to his spark. He didn't want to believe it was over. He'd be separated from them. Swindle loved these girls, more than anything. He didn't want them to leave him, but it had to be done to save them.

"I'm gonna miss you guys" Swindle said.

"I know, we'll miss you too" Skyler replied.

"We love you, Mr. Swindle" Emily dug her face into his metal.

"Yeah…I love you guys too".

"We'll always love you, Swindle".

_Don't say goodbye. _

'_Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight. _

'_Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I. _

_And although we knew,_

_This time would come for me and you, _

_Don't say anything tonight. _

_If you're gonna say goodbye. _

He didn't know what to say. He just loved them. Tears threatened, but again he held them back. He didn't want this to end, but it was going to have to. Swindle just wanted to stay there, never wanting this to end. A very awkward silence reigned. They all had so much to say, but didn't know how to say it.

_Do you remember, _

_In December, _

_How we swore we'd never change?_

_Even though you're leaving, _

_Our feelings, _

_Would always stay the same. _

"Hey guys, maybe we should make a promise" Skyler came up with an idea.

"To do what?" Swindle asked.

"First, not to forget what we've been through or what we have. Second, let's not change how we feel about each other. Of course, Em and I are sisters, so we're always gonna be feel the same no matter what. But what about you, Swindle?".

"I'm not gonna forget. How can I?" Swindle asked.

_I wish we could be laughing. _

_Instead I'm standing here asking, _

_Do we have to end this now? _

_We both know what we've gotta say. _

_Not today, _

'_Cause I don't wanna leave this way. _

"Yeah, let's do that" Emily said.

"Sounds like a plan. Alright, I promise never, ever to forget what we have here and what we've been through. I promise I'll see you guys again. And I will never, ever give up on finding you if I have to".

"Yeah, we promise the same thing" Skyler replied.

"We totally agree with you. We hope you'll be okay".

_Don't say goodbye. _

'_Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight. _

'_Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I. _

_And although we knew, this time would come for me and you._

_Don't say anything tonight, _

_If you're gonna say goodbye. _

"Yeah, I'll be okay. Don't worry about me".

"Swindle…I want you to have this" Skyler dug her hand in her pocket and took out a black velvet box.

Skyler opened the box and it revealed a beautiful gold necklace. The chain was long compared to most others, and its pendant was a gold flower with a ruby center. It was a real ruby.

"What's it for?" Swindle asked.

"To remember our promise".

_And if it's over, _

_It hurts but I'm giving you my word. _

_I hope that you're always happy like we were. _

_Happy like we were. _

Mia came around to the yard. "Girls, our ride's here".

"NO!" Emily held on to one of Swindle's fingers tightly.

"We have to go, Emily" Mia told her.

"We can't go, Miss Mia" Emily cried.

"Go" Swindle put the girls down, "You have to. Be happy guys, and don't worry about me".

_Don't say goodbye. _

'_Cause I don't wanna hear those words tonight. _

'_Cause maybe it's not the end for you and I. _

_And although we knew, _

_This time would come for me and you. _

_Don't say anything tonight, _

_If you're gonna say goodbye. _

"But Mr. Swindle-".

"No buts, Em. I'll be fine. Don't worry" Swindle took up the necklace, "Thank you Sky".

Mia and Emily left, but Skyler stayed behind. "Please take good care of that. It was my mom's. I love you, Swindle".

Skyler hugged his leg. "I wanna start dating again, Swindle. All thanks to you".

_Yesterday we were laughing. _

_If you're gonna say goodbye. _

_Today I'm left here asking. _

_If you're gonna say goodbye. _

_And although we knew, _

_This time would come for me and you, _

_Don't say anything tonight. _

_If you're gonna say goodbye. _

"You're welcome. I guess I'll see you later, eh Sky?".

Skyler nodded. "Yeah".

She started to take off, but Swindle's voice stopped her.

"It's worth it after all, Skyler".

Skyler turned and saw Swindle looking like he was on the verge of tears.

"For what?" she asked.

"To make oneself loved".

"I know. I love you, Swindle. Please, wherever you go, be happy".

"I will".

Swindle nodded and started crying as she left. He really hadn't needed them, but he wanted them. It was okay to let go now. It was also okay to be sad as well. Wherever they were going, he was sure they'd be safe.

A/N: Yep, this is the last of the chapters. Now I gotta make the epilogue. I do not own this song. It belongs to the band Skillet. You oughta listen to it. It might bring you to tears to actually hear the song. Sorry if this did make you cry.


	15. An Old Friend

Epilogue- An Old Friend

(Swindle's POV)

I practically died that day. When my girls left. I knew they'd be safe, but I still wanted them around. I was taken to the ranch, where I met plenty of new friends, and I got my business back up and running again. It was the best. But regardless, I knew something was missing. I had that missing something feeling again. This time, nothing could shake it.

It was about six years after they left that I found a surprise waiting for me at the door of the main house at the ranch. I had gone out with Pete, Todd, and Alexis to get some supplies. When we came home, we noticed two ladies sitting on the porch. One was a teenager that looked about fourteen. She had blonde hair and blue eyes. Her blonde hair had brown highlights in it, and her smile was so kind. The other, a woman of about twenty two years, sat next to her. Her hair was jet black and her skin nicely tanned. Her figure was nice and curvy. I don't believe I couldn't catch on as to who they were at first.

"Hold on" Peter got out of me and walked over to the two, "Can I help you ladies?".

"Yeah, are you Peter Wister?" the blonde asked.

"Yeah, that's me. Why?".

"We were told by a friend that you were the one who picked up a tan SUV about six years ago. Do you still have him?" the brunette asked.

"Um…as a matter of fact, I think we do. Alexis, you might wanna get out of there" Peter turned to me, "They're for you".

Alexis and Todd got out and went inside, leaving me alone with them.

"How do we know it's him?" the brunette asked her sister.

"I know a way" the blonde came over to me and touched that very same spot where Emily had touched me all those years ago.

Of course, I shivered at her touch. She smiled.

"Swindle?" she asked, "Is it you?".

I transformed. "Emily?" I looked at the blonde, who nodded when I said that, "Skyler?" I gazed at the brunette, who did the same.

I was speechless! My girls, they were back! I grabbed them up and held them like I did when they were younger.

"I missed you guys! Where've you been?" I asked.

"Heh, everywhere" Skyler answered.

"Yeah, seriously, Swindle! We've been everywhere. Apparently that guy who killed our dad knew more about us than we thought!".

"He kept tracking us, so we had to keep moving" Skyler added.

"We would've written you, but we couldn't send any letters. It was too risky".

"Hey, as long as I got you guys now, I'm good".

"Think we can stay here?" Skyler asked.

"If you guys know me, I'm pretty sure you can. Alexis knows Starscream, and she gets to stick around" I answered, "But for now, let's just enjoy this".

So that was how I came to be loved for the first time in my life. I told Andromeda about it years later, and she told me to write it all out, so I did. Hopefully you liked it. I originally wrote this for my son, but then I caught on. This wasn't for him, but for me, so I can always look back and tell my own story. Every survivor has a story. I'm no different.

A/N: It's OVER!!! Hope you liked this. I liked typing and posting it.


End file.
